Post Archive by Month

Last Monday we had the fortune of meeting together as a small group of parents and teachers. It was our first reading group of the year (I will call it a reading group from now on, since we don’t necessarily read books, and because ‘club’ sounds awful fancy), and we met at Amy’s (Willa’s mom) house. Laura, Cari, Jeff, Kirsten, … Read More

By Laura During the usual whirlwind of morning play we noticed one table was especially quiet, and busy. Cheryl went over to see what was up. The children had set up a writing station. MacKenna: Can you spell my name? Cheryl: M . . . MacKenna: I don’t know how to do that. Seamus: I know how. [He drew an … Read More

By Laura Two witches flew in on their broomsticks today–a tall witch named Calamity and a shorter witch named Doondik. They wore tall, pointed hats and spoke with creaky voices. . . Later, we decided that a spookier Commons might encourage more special visitors. We worked together to transform the space. The children added leaves, sticks and spiny balls to … Read More

By Laura Lila decided to bring the shells, rocks and natural materials over to the table during choice time. Emi, Eloise, Atticus and Seamus were intrigued by her work and came over to join. They all sat together, building and rebuilding designs and structures on felt canvasses. This work also inspired a few questions that we will continue to explore: … Read More

We went to Sauvie Island to get some pumpkins for the preschool, to connect with each other, and to breathe the fresh air. Our next family outing will be on January 14th at Tryon State Park for a hike. Please peruse the slideshow and enjoy! [slideshow]

By Cheryl We are always on the look out for new games, songs, and activities to share with the children. While repetition is so valuable for learning, mastery and self-confidence it’s also important to change things! This week saw lots of new or recently introduced activities. Megan added a dramatic element to the song “Five Little Pumpkins” in which each … Read More

By Cheryl Today we took our first trip as a large group to Clinton Park using our new walking rope. So many steps involved in such an endeavor. We began the walk down 52nd with great success. The rope is slow going but the feeling of security is great. Laura acted as our scout and helped clear the road (and … Read More

By Cheryl In the spirit of the beautiful Fall weather I asked if there was interest in a morning walk. Wade, Jadon, Evan, Tycho and Willa joined me and we organized ourselves into partners and set out. I asked the children what colors might we be on the look out for. Evan offered “Yellow and Red!”. Off we went! As … Read More

By Cheryl Preparing for the parent conferences has been a wonderful opportunity to reflect deeply on each individual child. This is staying with me as I go through the day and experience the blessings offered by this type experience… The leaf was blowing in the wind on this beautiful Fall day, seemingly by magic. We are so privileged to share … Read More

By Laura Today we celebrated Boone and Arly’s birthday in typical Tulip Tree fashion. We learned that their parents referred to them as baby A and baby B, before they decided on the names Arly and Boone when they were born. Also, these two have been riding skateboards since they were two years old! One of the choice time centers … Read More